


As Time Goes By

by raktajinos



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: #coulsonlives, Dry Humping, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Time Travel, Timey-Wimey, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:18:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raktajinos/pseuds/raktajinos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil goes back in time to the 1940s to save Steve's life. What he didn't count on was Steve being....well Steve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kinky_kneazle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinky_kneazle/gifts).



> For kinky_kneazle for [avengersfest](http://avengersfest.livejournal.com/) on livejournal.
> 
> I've never written this pairing before and I originally had no idea what I was going to do, but reading over kinky_kneazle's notes this popped into my head. I really hope you like it, I absolutely loved writing it. 
> 
>  
> 
> _warnings: Some hospital scenes as well as talk of death (not self inflicted), also a fluff warning, I fear I went all OTP in one scene :P, some consensual sexual touching_

He landed with a soft thud, the ground beneath him solid and cold. His eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, a stark comparison from the blinding blue light that brought him here. 

He stood, readjusting his suit, shaking off some non-existent dust from his jacket and took in his surroundings. 

He was in a large field, its ground uncultivated but clearly in use judging by the amount of boot prints in the mud around him. The air was crisp; he could see the stars sharply in the sky overhead; he guessed it was early fall judging by the temperature. Other than that, he had no idea where or when he was. He had put all of his trust into a mischievous imprisoned demi-god with a messiah complex and for all he knew, the Trickster had dropped him off in the middle of nowhere. 

‘No’ he thought to himself; he was where he had negotiated to be, Loki had just as much to gain from this endeavour as he did so despite their particular loathing for one another, they had to trust each other. With that, Phil started walking east, knowing he’d run into civilization eventually.

After a few hours he was beginning to have serious doubts about it; the cold was seeping into his bones, turning his thoughts to the vengeful kind, thinking of all the things he’d do to Loki, all the ways he would hurt him when…. _if_ he got back. 

Phil knew this trip could be one-way; it was dangerous and its planning was haphazard, rushed because of his desperation. The mission as is stood could kill him easily enough, but it was the plan to return home that that carried the most risk. There was every possibility that he would die and never see the true success of his work. But it would be worth it; his mission was too important, if he died it would be a cost worth dying for. He could not fail; the ramifications if he did were too devastating to think about. 

His toes were frozen, his beautiful leather shoes impractical in this weather and now surely ruined from all the mud and dew he’d trekked through. He frowned, trying to kick off a clump drying mud. 

There was a loud boom in the distance, shaking the ground. On the horizon Phil saw a large cloud of black and yellow lift into the sky on a wave of blinding light. His confidence returned and he pushed himself towards the explosion. The agreement was for him to be deposited near a military base and judging by the obvious weapons test he just saw, he’d arrived. 

About half an hour later Phil was walking into the base; soldiers all around him, all dashing in their uniforms wide-eyed with excitement on their faces; faces of boys who had not yet seen the true horrors of war. For a brief moment Phil worried he’d been sent back to the wrong war; Loki’s knowledge of Earth’s history was sparse at best. But it was clear after a closer inspection of the uniforms that he was in the right time frame. 

He wandered the base with purpose, making it appear as if he belonged there and glad that his pressed suit blended in, its structure giving him the appearance of authority. Now he just had to hunt down his quarry. Phil was pretty sure Steve would be here, but this place had been picked from his own memory, sifting through the numerous stories Steve had told him to find the right one, the right time frame. Phil was confident he was right; his job with SHIELD required him to remember minute details and specifics. There hadn’t been time to check the records for details before he left…and he certainly wasn’t able to confirm them with Steve. 

Phil shook himself, that line of thought would not be helpful, it would also make it even more difficult when he ran into this time’s Steve. He needed to stay focused. 

He was continuing his casual search for Steve when he noticed a severe looking officer watching him intently. Phil caught his glance and nodded in a way that he hoped conveyed authority. 

….apparently not as the officer headed directly over to him. “Sir what are you doing on this base? Do you have clearance to be here?” 

It then appeared to Phil with startling clarity that he had no plan whatsoever. He had not thought this through. Aside from making a deal with the devil to get here, he hadn’t planned anything else but getting here. He had no idea how he was going to explain himself to Steve, let alone convince this man to not throw him off the base as an imposter.

Phil surveyed the officer, a Commander judging by the pips on his uniform, “Yes, Special Agent Phil Coulson” he held out his hand to the man, “Department of Defence”. Phil didn’t want to risk showing his ID in case this officer would recognize it wasn’t historically accurate. 

The Commander took Phil’s hand apprehensively, distrust showing on his face, “Commander Vessa, this is my base” the man replied, his handshake firm as if testing Phil’s resilience and he responded in kind; this was not his first time dealing with overconfident bureaucrats. 

“I’m here as a liaison for Mr Stark” Phil continued. Vassa seemed to relax at this “ahh, you’re one of Stark’s boys. I’ll take you to him; this way if you’ll follow me”. 

Phil chuckled, being one of “Stark’s boys” in his timeline meant a very different thing than what Vassa meant. He followed the Commander through a maze of tents and training fields and Phil was beginning to wonder where exactly they were going. 

They stopped in front of a large bunker with a large ‘authorized personnel only’ sign on the door. Vassa nodded to the soldier standing guard and they walked into an impressively large workspace; about the size of a large barn, there were two levels of workstations, equipment and technicians all with the most advanced technology the 1940s could provide. Some of it probably more advanced, knowing the history of the Stark family’s involvement with the military. 

“STARK!” Vasso barked as he led Phil towards the back of the bunker

“He’s in the Room doing an experiment, he should be out soon,” a young man said, coming up to them and saluting Vasso. 

“Yes, of course he is” Vasso responded in a resigned sort of way “Lieutenant, if you could please tell Stark I’d like to see him as soon as possible” and with a curt nod the young man headed off behind some steel doors. 

They hadn’t been waiting for ten minutes before Howard Stark joined them; Phil could see where Tony got his ruggedness from, the man was a spitting image of his son – except for the eyes, those had to be from his mother. 

“Vasso!” Stark exclaimed, with an eerie similarity to his son’s boisterous nature, “how can I be of service?”

“This is Special Agent Coulson, here’s here from the DOD to see you” Vasso replied, nodding in Phil’s direction.

Phil inclined his head towards the genius, “Phil Coulson, pleasure to meet you sir”. Stark shook his hand firmly, “Howard Stark. Likewise”. 

“I didn’t know the DOD was sending someone all the way out here so soon. I’m set to return to Washington in a few weeks with my report”

“Ah yes, but I’m sure you’re familiar with how swiftly things can change in DC” Phil replied politely. He really had no idea what he could pretend to talk to Stark about, so hopefully he wouldn’t have to spend too much time with the man and he could swiftly move on to his mission. 

“I hope nothing serious has happened to spur this visit” Vasso interjected 

“No, nothing serious. You’d be the first notified Commander, if that were the case” Phil assuaged the man’s ego; in his experience it was always a good idea to make sure the man in charge felt like he was being included in all decisions and business even if he wasn’t needed; made for less problems later on. 

This indeed did seem to placate Vasso, “good good” the man said in a way that indicated he surmised as much.  
“My superior officers are merely in need of some … additional information regarding one of Mr Stark’s projects.” Phil expanded. 

Vasso, now relaxed cleared his throat, “Well I shall leave you both to that eh. I have a base to run gentlemen, so if you need me send a cadet to find me” nodding to them both before turning to leave the bunker. 

Stark turned towards Phil with a frustrated expression on his face, “so, Agent Coulson what do they want now?”

“Merely an update on Steve Rogers. I –“ 

Stark let out a loud sigh and interrupted Phil, “I send them reports on Rogers weekly with every minor detail I can think of, what more do they want?! I’ve run every test we have on the man…hell, I’ve checked him for head lice just so I have something new to write in the report” 

Phil knew how annoying bureaucrats could be; always interfering and asking repetitive questions, so he felt bad for the man, who had probably experienced more annoyance than usual do to the remarkability of his work. Phil almost regretted the fact that he was putting Stark through additional stress that was all a farce. 

He studied the genius in front of him, the frustrated lines around his eyes, the somewhat haggard exhausted mood that seeming to pour out of his skin reminded Phil of another scientist, Erik Selvig after just a few months working with SHEILD. After decades worth of bureaucratic annoyances, it was remarkable that Tony hadn’t yet taken on this look; he was never fazed by anything. 

“They’ve sent me out to do a personal assessment of Rogers. Talk to him, see how he’s dealing with all of this, see if there’s any mental effects of the procedure or the war, see if he has anything to say. “ Phil was flying by the seat of his pants here, making stuff up as he went. He should have planned for contingencies; his one and only plan had been to locate Steve…he didn’t factor in the number of people he might have to interact with to get there. 

Stark grimaced, “they are thinking of recreating the experiment aren’t they”. Phil stared at Stark and gave the universally acknowledged gesture saying ‘I can neither confirm nor deny, but your suspicions aren’t wrong’. 

“Of course they are.” Stark sighed, “I’ve told them time and again I don’t think it’s a good idea, let alone whether it’s actually viable to do again. Rogers was a fluke. I’ve been looking over the data again and it shouldn’t have worked. We – oh never mind. You and I both know they’ll do what they want”

There was short pause as Stark collected himself, rubbing his hands on his exhausted face. But he snapped back to the efficient, friendly scientist soon enough “could I offer you a tour Mr Coulson?”


	2. Chapter Two

It was exciting to get a tour of the lab from the man himself, from the man who single headedly changed the future of technology; he’d have stories to tell Tony if he ever got back. He wasn’t overly impressed by the technology itself – it was all incredibly antiquated by his standards let alone all the alien tech he’d been exposed to. Still, there was something so remarkable about it all; the level of ingenuity and creativity required to invent this, most of it the forerunners for his own tech. It was like walking through a living museum, with the architect giving him the hands on tour. 

About an hour later there was a loud clang as the bunker door opened and an even louder group of people walking in; and there at the front of the group was Steve. He looked glorious and Phil immediately forgot the question he was asking Stark about some bobble on the table. 

“Ahh, here’s the Golden Boy now. Come Agent, I’ll introduce you” Stark said. 

They walked towards the crowd of people but Phil’s eyes were solely on the man in front. He was deeply engrossed in a conversation with a woman walking next to him, so Phil was free to take in the sight. He was wearing his classic Captain America outfit, the one that clung to his skin and left very little to the imagination. Phil had been ecstatic when he was able to help update the costume’s design for SHIELD, keeping it true to its classic routes, but giving it some modern flare. 

He loved the new one, loved how it looked on Steve, how it gave him a regal look…he also loved helping him out of it – but he also loved this classic one, so much nostalgia in it and Steve held himself with a different sense of pride and duty than he did in the new one. 

Phil forced himself to stop dragging his eyes over Steve’s body and to start acting like a professional. It was harder than Phil expected; he wanted to just hug him and never let go. Technically, it hadn’t been more that 2 days since Phil had seen Steve….but it felt like an eternity. And really, was Steve had become at the end, was not how he wanted to remember him. And to see Steve here and now, breathing and so full of life…it filled Phil with an overwhelming mix of joy and sadness. 

Aside from that, it was the fact that he was back in the 1940s, meeting Captain America in the prime of his celebrity that was also playing on Phil’s nerves. He’d worshipped this man his entire life and though their relationship had helped to see Steve less as an idol and more as a man and a friend, the fact remained that Phil was still a fanboy at heart and here he was meeting his hero. 

Caught up in his musings, Phil snapped back to the present as he realized Steve and Stark were talking…and probably about him. 

“ – a new ‘friend’ from the DOD here to visit you” Stark said jovially. 

“Special Agent Phil Coulson” he said, extending his hand, an embarrassingly large smile on his face that he was trying his hardest to conceal, “its an honour to meet you. I’m a big fan”

Steve smiled his 1000-watt smile in return and took Phil’s hand firmly, “Steve Rogers – always a pleasure to meet a fan” 

That was pure Steve, despite what might be going on or what mood he was in, he was always eager to meet his fans. Always polite and giving them his full attention; it was one of the things Phil loved most about him. 

But even knowing this, Phil nearly came undone right then; his touch – so warm and alive, his intense gaze fixed on him, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that Phil had been on the receiving end of numerous times. It was all too familiar, bringing up too many memories. But this was not his Steve, this wasn’t the man he went home to every night and this Steve had no memories of him. 

“How can I help you Agent Coulson?” Steve inquired. 

Phil cleared his throat, “well, I’m here to observe your mental and physical state. How well you are dealing with everything that’s happened; the change, the war, your celebrity, etc. So a few interviews should be sufficient and maybe some observing of your daily routine would be helpful as well. Noting invasive I assure you and I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”

“Sounds alright to me. I’m about to head over for a training exercise on the northern field if you’d like to come … observe” Phil invited.


	3. Chapter Three

They walked over to the field followed by a group of what Phil had decided was a fanclub of young cadets, not that he could blame them for their devotion. When Steve first resurfaced in Phil’s time, there was also an upsurgence of adoration for him, even within the department. He hadn’t enjoyed the attention then as he seemed to in this time, and he often sought solitude – which was how they ended up becoming friends. While Phil was a social man who enjoyed his friends, he also enjoyed being alone or working in private and he knew all the nooks and crannies at SHIELD that one could hide out in…and he and Steve just ended up in the same spaces. 

Clearly in this time frame, Steve enjoyed the attention and didn’t seem to mind the constant fan club. There was a lightness to this Steve that his had buried deep inside himself, behind guarded walls. His Steve was less boisterous and easy going, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders…which it sometimes did. 

The one thing that was the same about this Steve and his was his dedication to duty and his passion for leadership and teamwork. Phil watched as Steve led the training exercises, eager to train and help others with a firm hand. He believed in what he was doing and once Steve committed to something, there was no stopping him. 

Phil never got tired of watching Steve at his best, the way he was able to move his body, the endless amounts of energy he always seemed to have while working out. Phil smiled to himself; there were ‘other’ activities for which Steve had boundless energy as well. 

The sparring matches at SHIELD were always something of a spectator sport, having a group as impressive as the Avengers take shots at one another was a communal bonding activity for the entire facility. Watching him and Thor spar at SHIELD was a sight to behold; obviously the God could beat him in strength alone, but it was the exercise itself that was the allure….a ‘homoerotic display of masculinity’ is what Tony liked to call it. 

Phil also admired how Steve took command of a group of people so easily; watching him lead the soldiers through their exercises was with the same ease with which he’d take command of the Avengers. He was a good leader; firm but compassionate and always wanting to hear different ideas from the people under his command. Phil wouldn’t be surprised is Steve ended up leader of SHIELD one day….

The cadets started doing laps around the yard and Steve jogged over to where Phil was leaning against a guardrail. “So what do you think Agent? Do I pass initial observation?” Steve inquired somewhat cheekily. 

Phil gave a small smile in return, “while I cant say anything official, you definitely _do_ meet with approval” giving Steve the once over with his eyes. 

It was far more suggestive than Phil had intended and he looked around to see if anyone heard or saw what he’d done; they were thankfully alone but Phil had no desire to out Steve, especially in this time frame and in a military setting. In 2017 while things weren’t great for queer people they were a heck of a lot better than this time frame. 

That wicked glare appeared in Steve’s eyes again, mixed with a whisp of apprehension and he gave a slow drag of his eyes over Phil. He felt suddenly very self-conscious and he tugged on his collar lightly. Steve licked his lips and leaned in a little closer to him, far too close than was socially appropriate, “well Agent, let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help get a rise in approval”. And with a wink, he turned a ran back off to the cadets, yelling at them to get back in formation….and Phil couldn’t help but watch his backside as he did. 

Phil shook himself, both to knock him out of his reverie and to loosen his tightening pants. He was being reckless; he was not here to seduce his future boyfriend. Though, Steve was giving as well as he got and he wasn’t making it easy on Phil. 

 

It had always shocked him, Steve’s voracity with which he pursued Phil. He’d always seemed like this perfect gentleman, so very 1940s in his demeanour and etiquette. But a perfect gentleman did not seduce Phil the way Steve did; a perfect gentleman wouldn’t take every opportunity to invade his personal space or brush up against him when no one was looking. A perfect gentleman wouldn’t whisper horrendously dirty things in his ear while rubbing him through his pants to get him off. A perfect gentleman would certainly not get on his knees and give Phil a blowjob to remember right in his office. Yet Steve did…. all before getting a date of him. 

Phil smiled at the memories; he certainly made Steve work for it. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t interested in Steve in that way, he was – very, very strongly interested. He was worried he was only interested in Steve because he was Captain America and he knew Steve deserved more. Phil had been perfectly happy to worship the man from afar, entertain the odd fantasy at night, but do his job to the best of his abilities. It had been Steve to make the first move, or moves as it were; he kept pushing until Phil finally caved. 

Phil was honoured to be the object of Steve’s affection and felt oddly flattered at the determination which Steve pursued him. If Steve wanted something, he went after it with a focused passion that could not be derailed. And part of Phil was overwhelmed by it; he’d never been that to anyone before and he’d made his career out of being slightly hidden in the background. It was hard to hide from Steve. 

And despite all of Phil’s qualms, Steve didn’t seem to share them; apparently he knew Phil better than he knew himself. And he was right; after a few months officially together, Phil found himself in a strong, supportive relationship with a wonderful man and Phil was happy and in love. There was more to Steve than his persona and Phil had absolutely no trouble looking past it and falling for the man behind the costume. Which is what made all of this so hard; seeing Steve happy and healthy – so full of life, it was heartbreaking. The man he was supposed to be, not what he’d been reduced to at the end.


	4. Chapter Four

Phil had been in the 1940s for almost a week and he was nowhere near close to finishing his mission…in fact, he’d fallen further behind. He’d spent nearly all of his time with Steve and his friends, hanging out on base “observing” or at their favourite pub nearby. He was having a great time if he was honest with himself; having fun and letting himself forget his worries. If he got back he’d have to look up a remarkable woman named Peggy, maybe she was still alive in him time. It would be a breech of protocol, but considering how many rules he’d broken already just by coming here, he’d manage breaking a few more. 

Speaking of which, Peggy was coming towards him, “hey! Coulson! We’re heading over to O’Brien’s for dinner and a pint, you coming?”

“Of course. I owe you a chance to loose at billiards again” he replied saucily

“har har” said Peggy, “we’ll see about that; I’ll take you for all your money Coulson” she baited back. 

“You be wary of her Phil, she’ll do it too” Steve said, coming up next to them. “I beat her three times, got all cocky and then she pulled the rug out from under me and took me for three times what I lost” 

Peggy smirked in return, “now, don’t you be spreading lies…you just had some back luck. Care to take another shot?”

Steve held up his hands in surrender, “oh, I know better.”

“Well Phil, looks like its up to you. You seem like a lucky man.” and with a final devious wink, she ran off to catch up with a group of female officers ahead of them, leaving Phil and Steve to walk alone together. 

The boldness of Steve’s flirting was toned down considerably and he wasn’t as saucy as that first comment on the training field. It was the Steve Phil had initially expected, polite, charming, subtle – oh so subtle in his flirting. At first Phil wasn’t sure Steve was flirting or merely being polite to a new comer, but after catching him looking intently at him, Phil was more confident…plus he knew Steve found him attractive, he had two years of proof for that.

It had been subtle flirting, intense gazes, a few winks and the fact that they always managed to find themselves sitting or standing next to one another. Despite everything Phil had told himself, he found himself pushing the envelope with Steve – he couldn’t help it. He liked seeing him squirm a bit and it was a heady rush of power having all this knowledge about Steve. Phil knew exactly what to do to the man to make him crazy. 

They were sitting around a small table, enjoying a loud game of cards. Peggy was teasing her friend Janet about something and everyone was distracted. Phil, being emboldened by the beer, ran his hand up Steve’s thigh under the table, drumming a gentle pattern with his fingers on the upper inside of his thigh, mere centimetres from his crotch. 

He’d done this several times to Steve during meetings or when he was trying to relax watching tv. It was always 100% effective at distracting him from whatever he was doing and Phil always got what he wanted out of it. 

And Phil was proven right as Steve startled, kicking the table leg and a small gasp escaping his mouth that he quickly covered up with a cough. Phil kept his face neutral as the rest of the table responded to Steve’s reaction, “hey, you okay Steve?” a clearly inebriated George asked.

Steve cleared his throat again, “um ya, sorry. Leg cramp”   
“You sure? You look rather pale” Peggy chimed in

Phil feigned interest in the discussion, years of politics giving him an excellent poker face, but his focus was on Steve’s thigh as he continued tapping his fingers and he could feel Steve shifting on the chair trying to get Phil’s hand to move up to where he wanted it. 

“I’m fine. Maybe I should get some air” and with that Steve stood up, turning to give Phil a burning intense look, eyes full of lust before heading out of the pub. Phil smirked to himself, ‘mission accomplished’ and bet Steve was glad he wore loose pants tonight, cause that man left with a full hard on.


	5. Chapter Five

Phil left the bar not shortly after Steve did, with the full intention of going back to his hotel, it was well after midnight. He stepped into the street, a soft rain beginning to pelt his face, but he looked across the street into the alleyway and saw Steve there, leaning casually against the brick wall. 

Chastising himself for every step he took, Phil nonetheless walked over to him and he found himself standing right in front of Steve, a small sliver of space between their bodies. Steve loomed over him, his hair and clothing soaked from the rain; Phil could see the indecision in his eyes. It didn’t last too long and Steve pulled Phil deep into the shadows of the alley, crashing his mouth down on Phil’s. 

Phil moaned into Steve’s mouth and pushed his hands through his wet hair, pulling him closer to him. Their tongues battled each other as Phil felt Steve push him against the brick wall, grinding his hips into Phil. 

A wave of guilt came over him; this was not what he should be doing. He shouldn’t be enjoying the fact that Steve had him pressed up against a brick wall, his erection pressing hard into Phil’s stomach. 

Phil pulled apart for air, Steve’s chest rising and falling in time with Phil’s racing heartbeat. 

“Steve” Phil whispered, looking up into his eyes, a hooded lustful expression on his face, one Phil knew so well. 

“God Phil, you drive me crazy” he replied before resuming kissing him. 

Phil wouldn’t necessarily describe Steve as wanton, but it wasn’t a wrong term either. He was passionate and incredibly easy to arouse when you knew what buttons to push. And he wasn’t one that could be sidetracked when it came to intimate affairs; if Phil riled him up, he was going to follow through even if that happened to be 10 minutes before a work meeting. 

But Steve was also incredibly private and discrete, not one for public displays of affection….despite the evidence to the contrary at the moment. Fucking Phil in public was not one of his kinks. 

Phil pulled back from Steve again, lightly pushing on his shoulders to give him space. Which he sort of did, placing both his hands on the wall on either side of Phil’s head, his hips still pushing into Phil’s.

Phil sighed, this wasn’t going to go well and he was stupid for saying it now, but he couldn’t let them go further without telling Steve the truth. 

“I have something to tell you,” he said

“That you’re not really here from the DOD?” Steve snarked back, a small smile on his face. 

Phil looked up, surprised “how did you know?”

“There were a few clues. Your clothing, it’s a bit off, your vocabulary is just slightly wrong. And no DOD agent would come hang out with us that much. But mostly, no government official is going to try and seduce me – it wouldn’t be a good career move. “ Steve said, placing a hand on Phil’s cheek and kissing him chastely, “very few bureaucrats run their hands up my thigh”

Phil chuckled and relaxed a bit, he knew Steve was smart and observant, but he was honestly shocked that he had picked up on the little details. Phil thought he’d done such a good job at blending in. They stood there for a few minutes in silence, the rain coming down lightly around them. 

“Why didn’t you report me?”

Steve sighed, “I don’t know honestly. Guess I just had a feeling”

Despite the fact that Phil _knew_ Steve he was still shocked by the flagrant disregard of protocol. Steve knew there was a man on base who was not who he said he was, a man that had close access to the US Military’s prize asset; the SHIELD agent in him was reeling from this. 

“I could be a spy or a terrorist” Phil responded incredulously. 

“Are you?” 

“No”

“Well there we go” Steve said smugly, moving to kiss him but Phil rebuffed him and Steve let out a sigh,

“Are we going to keep debating whether I should report you or are you going to tell me who you are and then take me back to your hotel room” 

Phil had been surprised at how cavalier Steve had been about all of the info up to now, but telling him he was from the future was bound to push his believability. He was going to think him crazy and then he was going to report him. 

He took a big breath and dove in, “I’m from the future”

Steve froze, a contemplative and confused look on his face. Phil figured he was probably thinking about how Phil was indeed a spy or the fact that he was out of his mind. 

He stepped away from Phil ever so slightly, losing the contact of his body, his arms crossing across his torso. 

“I can prove it” Phil said, again finding himself in a situation where he had no plan. 

Phil knew he had only a few minutes before he lost Steve’s attention and there was zero likelihood he’d be aloud back on base. Steve stood there silent, waiting for Phil to prove it. 

“You’re favourite tea is Earl Grey – you drink a cup every morning while you read the paper. You always have it black. You hate mint-flavoured things, except the cookies your grandmother used to make. Your cousin Beatrice is allergic to bees and you found out that summer you were at Lake Bear and you were building a tree fort. Your father hit you one time after you spilled ink on your mother’s shoes and he’s regretted it ever since. You’ve never been able to finish A Christmas Carol by Dickens because the 3rd ghost scares you, but you tell people you’ve read it anyways. You learned to play the clarinet so your parents could have music to dance to. You secretly love dime store crime comics and you’ve actually written/drawn some of your own. Every October 22nd, you bake an apple pie in honour of your mother and you eat the entire thing for dinner while listening to Billie Holiday.” Phil just recited off all sorts of things he knew about Steve, things he’d told him over the years in confidence, things only the two of them knew. Pushing the stories at Steve in a hop that he would believe him. 

Steve looked like he’d seen a ghost, his skin pale and a wide-eyed expression on his face. 

“How do you know those things?” he asked quietly, scepticism still in his voice

“I’m from the future. Do you believe me?” he asked, almost begging.   
“No one knows about the pie. No one.” 

“I helped you bake it last year. “ Phil said, slowly. There was more meaning in that confession and he hoped Steve picked up on it. 

“What’s the special ingredient?” 

“A pear. You add some pear into the apples to create ‘depth of flavour’. Your mother threw it in by accident one year, but then it became tradition” 

Steve just looked at him. Phil had learned that Steve had a tumultuous relationship with his mother, but ultimately a very loving one. When he’d asked him if he wanted to help make the pie, Phil was touched beyond words. He’d been honoured when Steve told him of the tradition, but when he’d asked him to participate…

“That means that you…. and I…” Steve wondered aloud 

“We live together” 

“Like roommates?” he asked. Phil smiled at the question; clearly Steve knew what he meant but he wanted him to spell it out for him. 

“No, like we’re married.”

“Wait. We’re married?!”

Phil laughed, “ha, no. We’re not. But it’s definitely something we’ve talked about” 

Steve rubbed his hands over his face, it was definitely a lot to digest, but Phil was relieved he had him believing him. 

 

“Okay. I think I believe you. Heck, I’m the result of a bizarre experiment, so why can’t time travel exist. When are you from? Why are you here?” 

“2017. And I’m here to save your life.” 

Steve raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m fighting a war, my death is highly likely. What consequence does it have on 2017?” 

“You’re alive in 2017. I can’t tell you why or how, but you are. Three weeks ago in my timeline, you were stabbed with a weapon; the doctors fixed the wound, but there was something else in the weapon, a poison of some sort. It worked so fast. One moment you were up and about the next you were in a coma, dying.” Phil confessed, rushing his words. 

“And then you died. Banner – I mean we, we found a cure, but it was too late. You never woke up and you just died there, on the table right in front of me” Phil was nearly overcome with emotion; it wasn’t just a week ago that Steve had died in his arms. He hadn’t had time to grieve before he hatched this ridiculous plan with Loki. 

Steve frowned, “so tell me more about the attack so I can remember to avoid it”

“I cant. The attack itself is part of a larger event, if I tell you about it, millions of people could die.”

“So no pressure then” Steve joked

Phil gave him a stink eye look, “what I can tell you is how to cure it. So you can tell Ban – the doctors in the future.” 

“O-kay. What is it” 

“You’ll need to tell them it’s a virus that works on attacking the iron particles in your body. Stark is the key, his –“

“Stark? Howard is alive then too? Is everyone from my time frame alive in your decade?” 

“No, his son, Tony – you’ll like him….eventually.” Phil smirked, remembering the numerous fights Tony and Steve got in, but ultimately they ended up becoming friends. 

“Okay. So this Tony, he’s the key.” Steve continued

“Ya, his arc-reactor. It’s a power generator plate he wears in his chest” Phil explained, seeing the look on Steve’s face. 

“Okay. So iron particles, arc-reactor. Is that all I need?”

Phil contemplated “yes, that should be good. There’s a lot of smart people around you in the future, they’ll only need a push in the right direction”. This was the part of the plan that Phil had thought through, what exactly to tell Steve. It needed to be simple and easy to remember, he wouldn’t have to use it for another 7 years, but it also needed to be enough information that Stark and Banner could figure it out relatively quickly. 

Steve was nodding his head, committing it to memory. “When will I know when to share it? I probably get attacked a lot in the future”

Phil laughed; Steve did have a way of getting covered in cuts and bruises. There were always new scars that Phil was discovering.   
“You’ll know. But just in case, this is a picture of the weapon that they’ll hit you with” Phil pulled out a small photo from his interior jacket pocket. It was the riskiest thing he brought back with him. 

It was a small photo of a long weapon, about the size of a walking staff, that widened out continually from the handle, so that it resembled a sleek triangle in shape. Covered in alien symbols, it (like so much alien tech), glowed a soft green out of specific shapes on the handle. 

Steve inspected the photo closely, “what a very odd weapon. But quite beautiful”

“Its alien.”

Steve’s eyes widened at that, “aliens. Cool” 

“Got it memorized?” at Steve’s nod; Phil took the photo back and dug his hand into Steve’s front pants pocket. The hungry look on Steve’s face returned as Phil moved his hand back and forth, finally coming back out with his lighter. Flicking the lighter open, he lit the photo on fire and watched it burn, throwing the last corner onto the ground as it withered in the heat. 

He turned back to Steve, stress weighing down on his shoulders. He’d accomplished his mission but he wouldn’t know if he was successful. Steve slank back up to Phil, like a lion hunting its prey, pressing himself up against the agent. Phil grabbed onto Steve’s belt and pulled the man to him, meeting him halfway for a smouldering kiss. 

“Come on, my hotel is just around the corner. I believe you said something about me taking you there. Lets get out of these wet clothes.” He wouldn’t know if he saved Steve’s life, but he’d enjoy the time he had left. 

Steve growled a bit in Phil’s ear, lightly biting the lobe, “good idea”.


	6. Chapter Six

__

_Silence, except for the steady beeping noises coming from the machine that told him Steve was still alive. Phil hadn’t left the sterile room in three days; three days as he watching the love of his life fight the poison coursing through his beautiful body._

_“Phil” a man said, coming into the room. Phil sat, his head in his hands, seated in an uncomfortable hospital chair, not registering Clint’s arrival in the room._

_“Phil” Clint repeated, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. This awoke Phil from his thoughts and he looked up into the worried face of his friend._

_“It’s been three days. You need to eat…sleep…take a shower”_

_“I…I cant” Phil replied, reaching out to hold Steve’s lifeless hand._

__

Phil woke with an abrupt start, cold sweat all over his body. 

“What’s wrong?” Steve mumbled from next to him in the bed, voice laden with sleep. 

“Nothing. Bad dream. Its fine, go back to sleep” he said, sitting up. 

Steve placed a hand on Phil’s back and started moving it in soothing circles. Such a tender gesture, juxtaposed with the images of his dream – Phil thought he might throw up. 

It was too much and he got out of bed; he couldn’t have Steve so near to him, so alive, right after that dream. Part of him wanted to crawl back into bed, wrap himself in Steve’s warmth and never leave, never leave this time frame. They could run away together, grow old together. 

It was so tempting. 

But no; he was a SHIELD agent, he had responsibilities. And Steve, the world needed Steve; the world right now and the one in the future. 

“Its about me right? The me from your time line?” Steve asked quietly. Phil stopped his pacing of the room to turn and look at him, a broken expression on his face, “yes…but-“

“Its okay. You don’t have to say more” 

“I want to. I want you to know everything.” he crawled back into bed, craving contact, sitting next to Steve who was still lying down. He looked into the face of the man he loved and he wanted to tell him everything; everything about himself, about the future. 

“It was awful, watching you get sick, watching you fight it, and then watching you die. It was the worst time of my life. It happened so fast. Less than a week.” Phil paused, absently playing with Steve’s hand, so much larger than his own. 

“Banner discovers the cure, but not before it’s too late. Insidious weapon. You have to be sedated because of the pain and then the poison attacks your brain and you slip into a coma. I never left your side, I never got to say goodbye – you just died right there in my arms.”

Steve pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his temples and just held him. 

“I’m here now. And I’m healthy and I’m fine.” 

As if needing to confirm, Phil ran his hands over Steve, touching everywhere he could, feeling his warm skin, the beat of his heart, the rise of his chest as he breathed. 

“And you’ve warned me about it so I can tell this Banner man what to look for. It’s going to be fine. I’m going to be fine.” 

Phil didn’t say anything, just nodded in a defeated way and let Steve’s warmth wash over him. 

Steve took one of Phil’s hands and kissed his palm, then his wrist, “you could always just stay here you know – stay with me. We could be happy here,” he whispered. 

Phil looked into his eyes and gave a lazy smile; this was the man he was so helplessly in love with. The man he would be time and space to be with. “I want to. It’s so tempting. I want to so badly and I’ve almost talked myself into it a few times. But I cant; we cant. The effect on the future could be catastrophic” 

Steve sighed and lay back down on the pillows, “well, seeing as you wont tell me how I end up 50 years in the future….”

“If I do, you might not do it and then we’ll be screwed. You’re kind of integral to the planet in 50 years”, Phil said, jabbing Steve’s chest for dramatic effect. 

Steve fell quiet, “you’re integral too”

“Hmm, maybe. I think my role could have been done by someone else – I’m a good agent and I’ve done a lot of important things, but I’m one of many. The same effect would have been achieved with someone else” Phil replied honestly. 

“Not to me”

Phil’s expression softened at Steve’s admission and he turned a little pink; he leaned in and gave Steve a tender kiss. 

“Well, thanks” he said with a smirk. 

There was a silent pause and Phil watched as Steve thought something over, his emotions playing over his face. 

“What? Go ahead an ask” Phil prodded, moving around so that he was laying next to Steve, head on his chest

 

“I was just wondering if you would have been attracted to me if I wasn’t Captain America…if I never had the experiment done” Steve confessed, looking a bit ashamed of asking. 

Phil smiled, “you’ve asked me this before” 

“And? What was your answer”? 

“I said that I thought so. You’re beautiful Steve, don’t get me wrong on that” Phil responded, giving a very appreciative look at Steve’s physique. “But there’s a lot of really attractive men at SHEILD; like there’s this guy Thor, I don’t think there’s a single person in the building that doesn’t look at him when he walks by”

Steve gave Phil an ‘oh really?’ look and Phil quickly moved to recover, “What I mean by that is that I’m not someone who valued looks over everything else. I fell in love with you, first the myth as a child and then you as a man because of who you are; you’re sense of duty and responsibility, you’re sense of humour. Those things aren’t because of the experiment” 

“Okay. Good. We’re happy right? You and I? In the future?” Steve continued. 

“Lots of questions. Yes, we are.” Phil replied, kissing Steve’s chest. 

“Who makes the first move?”

Phil chuckled, “oh you do. You’re relentless. You wouldn’t give up until I’d go out with you. The things you did to me in my office were downright scandalous.” 

Steve smiled a large wicked smile, “played hard to get eh”

“No”, Phil moved to sit over Steve, straddling his hips, “I just tried to be professional. We worked together.”

Steve pushed up against Phil, his growing erection pushing up against Phil’s. 

Phil let out a little moan and cleared his throat, “and I wasn’t sure if you were just looking for casual company or not. I didn’t know if it was me you were interested in or if it had just….been a while for you” Phil confessed. 

Steve stopped moving and looked up into Phil’s eyes, cupping his face with a hand and gave him a sad, lazy smile. “I’m not really the ‘casual acquaintance’ type of guy”

Phil chuckled, “no, I learned that soon enough. Though –“ he rolled his hips causing Steve to moan, “I’ve been here a week and you got me into bed pretty quickly”. 

He barely had time to register the wicked gleam in Steve’s eyes before he’d flipped them over and had the large soldier looming over him, holding Phil’s hands on the pillow above his head. 

Phil bent his knees, coming up around Steve’s hips, changing the position and Steve took advantage of it, driving Phil crazy with the friction. 

“Well, yes. But I must have known on some level you were special” He stopped moving his hips and looked into Phil’s eyes, “you are right?” a little bit of self-doubt entering his voice. 

Phil ran his hands down Steve’s chest and circled around to grab his butt, “I’m pretty sure you’re the love of my life” 

He was a bit shocked he’s said that; from this Steve’s point of view they’d only known each other a week and not the 7 years he’d had with his Steve. But for his part, Steve seemed nonplussed by the admission.

“Well good. Now shut up” is all Steve said before kissing Phil deeply.


	7. Chapter Seven

Phil stayed another week; another week of ‘interviews’ and ‘observations’ of Steve. He’d taken a closer look at the date and knew that tomorrow was the day, their last day together. 

Tomorrow was the date that Steve’s plane would go down in the ocean and he’d be frozen for the next 50 years until a past version of himself would help defrost him in the future. He rubbed his head; temporal mechanics gave him a headache. 

Steve came into the room, “hey, I’ve got news”. Phil sat by the window, reading that day’s paper; it was weird reading old news as if it was current. The war would be over soon, but the papers didn’t let on as much. 

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked

“You’ve got a mission right? Some lunatic trying to take over the world. Has a weird power source?” Phil replied in his detached bureaucratic voice. 

Steve gave him a weird look, “yessss. I want to ask how you know, but I know the answer to that.”

“Something happens to me on it doesn’t it?”

Phil stood and walked to Steve, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Yes. But you have to do it.” 

“Well I know I don’t die”

“Hopefully. Probably not. I’ve messed with the timeline so maybe you will” Phil confessed. The myriad of consequences of his decision had been playing through his mind over the week; the various ways in which his actions could alter the course of history. He had been reckless. 

A look of horror came over Steve’s face. 

“Well, just don’t die okay. You’ll be in the future in 3 days” Phil said, trying to make it sound like a joke. 

“But you -… You’re not going to the future are you?” said Steve. 

“No, I cant really.” 

“Can’t you go back the way you came?”

“Technically yes, but then there would be two of me in the future. If my plan has been successful than you wont die and I wont have to come back here, so I will stay in 2017 and so will you. There’s no space for two Phil Coulsons” 

“Well…I do have this fantasy,” Steve teased. 

Phil smacked his arm lightly, though he was intrigued by the possibilities that presented. And he’d probably be a huge asset to SHEILD; to of the same agent with his skills. But no, it wouldn’t work. And he’d have to share Steve….with himself. 

“No. I’ve got to stay here.”

“And what? Just wait to die?”

That hadn’t really occurred to Phil; but he supposed so. “Maybe I’ll cease to exist in this time frame if I’ve changed the future. Or ya, maybe I’ll just wait to die. I have always had an interest in farming; I could move to Ukraine, they are going to need a lot of help rebuilding after this war.” 

Steve pulled Phil tight, wrapping his long arms around him. 

“Could you do me a favour? Could you tell my future self about this? I’d know I’d like to know what happened. But not until after the poisoning situation.” he asked into Steve’s chest. 

Steve laughed, “ya, I can do that.”

They stood there for a while, just holding each other. Steve sighed, “I’ve got to go. I’m getting deployed in the next hour or so” 

Phil reluctantly let go of him and gave him one last intense kiss, filled with everything he felt. 

“You’re making this so hard,” Steve whispered. 

“I’m sorry. You’ll see me again in like 3 days. Be gentle with future me okay” 

Steve nodded and gave Phil one final hug before going to the door. 

“Oh, one more thing” Phil said, “the weird energy source…it’s a big blue square. Keep it with you; don’t give it to your superiors.” 

Steve gave him a weird look, “alright. Guess it’s important in the future?”

“Ya, you could say that.” it was the price of Loki’s help, making sure the tesseract went down with Steve in that plane. Phil thought it was a bit of a ridiculous price as the man could have asked for anything. But on reflection, it was the right thing to ask for; it ensured Loki’s method of transportation in the future. It meant his timeline didn’t change for the worse.


	8. Chapter Eight

“QUICK! GET ME 10CCs OF HYDROPLAURAZINE AND SOME BLOOD, HE’S LOOSING IT FAST HERE PEOPLE” 

Steve came in and out of consciousness, a blur of people around him. He was on his back, moving quickly down a brightly lit hallway. He moved his arm to cover his eyes but he couldn’t. He couldn’t move anything, couldn’t feel anything. 

He looked down at his body, there was this giant gash across his torso, really deep, blood everywhere and there were these black streaks running under his skin emanating from the hole in his body. 

The doctors above him were yelling things at each other but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. 

He saw Phil, running behind the line of doctors and nurses that were surrounding him; worry etched into his entire face, he looked like Steve must feel – if he could feel anything right now. 

“Banner” Steve whispered, barely able to talk. 

“Calm down Mr Rogers. Don’t speak. You’ve been attacked by something and we need to operate” the head Doctor told him sternly. 

It was the last thing he remembered before he woke up in a sterile room, lights dimmed, complete silence except for the beeping machines. He tried to move and pain shot through his entire body; he turned his head and saw Phil sleeping in what had to be a horribly uncomfortable chair, clothes dishevelled and proof that he hadn’t shaved in a few days. 

“Phil” Steve forced out. His throat was dry and his body was exhausted. 

The sleeping man didn’t wake. 

“Phil” he tried again. This time t worked and Phil awoke, his crystal blue eyes focusing on Steve

“Oh my god. Steve. Thank god” he rushed out, standing and kissing Steve on the forehead. 

“You nearly killed me with worry. How are you feeling?”

Steve attempted a small smile, “sorry. I feel like I got hit by a truck. Can I get some water?”

“Oh, of course” said Phil, filling up a little cup with some water and bringing it over, helping Steve drink it. 

“What happened?” Steve inquired

“Some weird alien weapon thing that the Dalrimo had; we’ve never seen it before. Our intelligence needs to step it up. We don’t even really know what it did, it barely touched you; there was just all this blood.” Phil rubbed a gentle hand up and down Steve’s forearm, careful not to hurt him. 

“But they say you’re going to be fine. Have to take it easy for a few weeks though and probably some rehab therapy for your muscles.” 

Steve looked at him, this man he loved, days of worry leaving their mark on his beautiful face, but relief filling his eyes. 

“You’ll take good care of me” 

Phil laughed, “yes” giving him another kiss on the forehead, “I’ve already got the time off, Fury was all ‘go home and take care of that man, we need him back’. You can’t be discharged for a few days yet though. You’re still a ‘high risk’ case.”

“Haven’t I always been?”

Then something clicked in Steve’s mind. Something from long ago…he’d almost forgotten. 

“Phil, the weapon. Was it long and triangular in shape, lots of writing on it, glowed green?”

Phil gave him a weird look, “yes. I didn’t think you got a good look at it before you went down. Why?”

“I didn’t see it; I don’t even remember it really. Get Bruce and Tony, quickly. There’s something still wrong with me. The weapon has two functions.”

Phil quickly sent messages to both Banner and Stark and then looked quizzically at Steve. “Do I have a story for you” Steve said. 

FIN


End file.
